Sunday, July 02, 2006

A Jewish Soldier in Iraq

This posting isn't about Israeli soldiers doing some top secret mission in Iraq -- though on the 30th anniversary of the IDF Raid at Entebbe, it's not unfathomable that the IDF is lurking around Iraq.

Rather, this posting is courtesy of a US Blogger, Kelly, (The Patriette) who's husband Josh is currently serving in the US Armed Forces (as part of the Minnesota National Guard)...in Iraq.

Josh hasn't yet seen his newborn daughter Amy (born May 31, 2006), but hopes to see her soon this Fall on leave.

Here in Israel, I've seen all sorts of interesting biblical archaeological locations, such as the mizbeach (altar) of Yehoshua when he entered Israel after 40 years in the desert, Mea'arat HaMachepela (cave of the Patriarchs/Matriarchs) in Hevron, and just 3 weeks ago I was at Kever Yehoshua in the middle of a not so friendly Arab village at midnight.

Kelly sent me the following picture/description of Josh in "Ur" -- the biblical birthplace of Avraham - UR Kasdim.

"According to the book of Bereisheet (Genesis), Avram (later Avraham) was born in Ur. The Arabs refer to Avraham/Ibrahim as "Father of the Prophets." Excavations of Ur turned up the foundations of this house,which is supposed to have been the house of Avram and his father, Terah. Naturally we don't know for sure that this was the house, but it could have been; with its many rooms and courtyards, this was clearly the home of an important, but not royal, family - such as Avram and Terah's. The house was partially reconstructed in the 1990s using the original foundations. Here I am standing in front of some shelves in what may have been Avram's library or (more likely) a kind of living room with some shelves for idols - the idols he eventually smashed."

Personally, I thought this was fascinating.

In any event, here's a shout-out from all of us in the JBlogosphere to Kelly and Amy -- that Josh in Iraq stays safe and that they see him home, safely, soon.

Of course, just like Qever Rahheil, there are two places that might be Ur Kasdim -- one, the southern, more commonly-accepted one, and the other, northern Ur (Urfa, Turkey) in Northern Mesopotamia, which according to some people has more evidence on its side.

That's an interesting post, but I'm afraid that my enthusiasm is tempered by a very important fact. Only someone who's had a lobotomy is likely to really believe that Josh is actually standing in a house that once belonged to a mythical figure whose very existence hangs on the references of a tendentious piece of literature.

I also hope that Josh gets home real soon (safe and sound)to see his baby girl - and not just Josh. I hope the American army in its entirety pulls out of Iraq and that all of their followers do the same.

Hey, ananymous boy: when you say you hope we and all of our "followers" leave Iraq, are you also referring to the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have volunteered to join the Iraqi Army, who are and have been fighting alongside us against the terrorists and warlords trying to ravage their country?